Lincoln set for ‘Walking Dead’

AMC taps lead actor for zombie series

AMC has tapped thesp Andrew Lincoln for the lead role in its Frank Darabont drama series “The Walking Dead.”

Lincoln (“Teachers”) will play police officer Rick Grimes, who leads a group of human survivors on a search for a safe place to live in the wake of a zombie apocalypse. Skein is based on the “Walking Dead” comicbook series by Rick Kirkman. Jon Bernthal (“The Pacific”) has been cast as Grimes’ partner, Shane.

AMC has also recruited Jack LoGiudice (“Sons of Anarchy”) to serve as co-exec producer on the series. “Dead” has a six-episode order and is targeted to preem in October in conjunction with AMC’s annual 14-day “Fearfest” marathon of horror and thriller pics.